Billy Ray Garrett

A private family memorial service will be held Saturday, November 5, 2016, for Billy Ray Garrett who passed away peacefully in his home on Monday, October 31, 2016. Billy just recently celebrated his 85th birthday on October 23 with a loving gathering of family and friends.

Billy Garrett was born in Cushing, Oklahoma, to Ralph and Ethel Garrett the second of six children.

The family also lived in California and later in Texas City, Texas, where he met his future wife, Yvonne. Billy began working at Monsanto where he stayed for 35 years. Billy and Yvonne raised their four children in Texas City where he was very active in his church by singing in the church choir and leading Bible Classes and Youth Groups. Billy also had a love of photography and was most often seen with his camera in hand, photographing beautiful scenes in nature and the family that he loved. His photographs won various local awards in each town where he lived.

After retiring from Monsanto at the age of 54, Billy and Yvonne moved to Jefferson, Texas, where they once again enjoyed participating in their church and church choir, community groups, and entertaining friends and family. In July of 2003, Billy and Yvonne moved to Nacogdoches where they continued to give of themselves to the church and others in service and in song. Billy Garrett sang beautifully for the Lord in church choirs for over 60 years! And yet he was best known for his kind and loving Christian spirit that he shared with everyone he met, and especially with the love of his life, Yvonne, his wife of 63 years.

Billy was preceded in death by his parents, Ralph and Ethel Garrett; his step mother, Laura Garrett; and his siblings, Bobbie Keeton, Paul Garrett, and Patsy Medley.

He is survived by his wife, Yvonne Garrett; his children, Steven Garrett, Kathy Turner, Forrest Garrett, and Alison Ishmael; and his sons and daughters in law, Leslie Turner, Eva Garrett, and Scott Ishmael. He was also blessed with 13 grandchildren in the United States (Texas, Colorado, South Carolina, and New Jersey), Sweden, and Germany and numerous great grandchildren, nieces and nephews.

We all love him and will miss him greatly but look forward to being with him again when we sing with him together before the Lord!

In lieu of flowers, please, contribute to the Emerging Leadership Initiative of the United Methodist Conference (a fund established to help contribute to the education of young pastors) at https://umcgift.org/ele.html, to Lakeview Camp at https://lakeviewmcc.org/donate, or to the charity of your choice.

Visit www.CasonMonk-Metcalf.com to offer memories and condolences.

Arrangements are under the direction of Cason Monk-Metcalf Funeral Directors of Nacogdoches.